


However Forbidden

by GayBaeShipping



Category: Durarara!!, Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Curious Heiwajima Shizuo, Eventual Heiwajima Shizuo/Orihara Izaya, Izaya is a Half-Ghoul, M/M, Not a Crossover, Not a Crossover Because Only Two Characters From Tokyo Ghoul Make It Into This Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:40:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27159446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayBaeShipping/pseuds/GayBaeShipping
Summary: After being saved from a ghoul attack by half-ghoul Izaya, Shizuo keeps visiting his enemy to learn more about the ghoul world... and Izaya himself.
Relationships: Heiwajima Shizuo/Orihara Izaya, Kadota Kyouhei/Orihara Izaya, Kadota Kyouhei/Rokujou Chikage, Orihara Izaya/Shiki Haruya, Orihara Izaya/Yagiri Namie, Uta/Yomo Renji
Comments: 9
Kudos: 56





	1. Shi no Kisu

**Author's Note:**

> I was a bit lazy for the first chapter. Please forgive me.  
> And can you also tell me what you think of the fight scenes? I feel like I'm not very good at them. If you think I'm not, please comment some tips below.
> 
> Also, I've decided with every chapter I'll give a shout-out to the nicest or most helpful commenter. Have fun.
> 
> All characters (including the author and book mentioned) do not exist. I do not own Durarara!!! All characters belong to the respectful personal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Before you read this, I just want to bring up a few things.  
> 1\. This is a Shizaya/Izuo story, and the other relationships are all background, previous or one-sided.  
> 2\. I changed the way half-ghouls work. In Tokyo Ghoul, half ghouls can last a month without human food, like a ghoul can. In this story, they can last two months.  
> 3\. When a ghoul or half-ghoul bites a human, it releases a chemical that arouses the victim.  
> 4\. Izaya is a good big brother in this, and the girls live with him.  
> 5\. Izaya has a chimera kagune. Don't like it? Leave.  
> 6\. Whilst it does have Uta and Yomo in this story, this story is not a complete crossover. No other characters from Tokyo Ghoul appear in this story.
> 
> That's all! Thank you!

Everything about what they had was wrong. It was by law forbidden. A human and a ghoul, or half-ghoul, was a forbidden romance. But they didn’t care. Maybe they should explain. From the very beginning.

***

It started with a young woman called Kasane Kujiragi bumped into Shizuo. It was a cold, biting day, with all the trees losing their leaves. Shizuo sat alone on a cold park bench. The day had already ended, Tom having finished early on. They had heard news that a ghoul had been eating humans, especially young men, near Ikebukuro’s Otome Road, where they were meant to head. For fear of safety, Tom ended the day early and bought a newspaper for himself, Shizuo and Vorona.

It went into detail about the mass eater ghoul.

**_MASS EATER GHOUL IN IKEBUKURO AREAS: RESIDENTS WARNED TO BE CAREFUL_ **

_In Ikebukuro’s Otome Road, another body was found in the same state as the previously found bodies in both Ikebukuro and Shinjuku. There were bodily fluids and blood that also matched the previous bodies as well._

_This mass-eating ghoul is shown to target men of around 20 years old with good builds. Residents living in the area are asked to take care._

And then it continued on to a long passage on how ghouls functioned differently to humans. Shizuo sighed and folded it neatly before standing and placing it in his pocket. He’d read it more at home. The walk home was long and tiresome.

Or at least, the half walk he did take was. Before he quite literally bumped into a small, petite girl with a bowtie in her hair. He stumbled back, apologising profusely, before being amazed by her beauty. “I apologise,” she said, reaching down to pick up a book she’d dropped, but Shizuo got there first.

“Aiya Yoshimori?” he asked, looking at the cover. “Shi no Kisu. It’s a good book. I’ve read it once.”

The girl blushed. “Yes, it is,” she said. “It’s quite terrifying, but I find it enjoyable.” She smiled. “Do you like Aiya Yoshimori’s work?”

“I’m not one for literature,” he admitted. “But Yoshimori’s work makes it easy to read.”

She smiled. “It does indeed,” she said.

“Would you like to go for a coffee?” Shizuo asked. “To warm you up?”

She blushed. “If it’s no bother,” she said.

“Of course not,” Shizuo said, smiling. “My name’s Shizuo Heiwajima.”

She smiled at him, and his heart sped up. “Kasane Kujiragi,” she said, hugging her book to her chest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Heiwajima-san.”

After a few minutes of hunting for a good coffee shop, they arrived at a decent one and took a seat together. Shizuo bought her a coffee and a sandwich, whilst he ordered ribs for himself. “How did you find Yoshimori’s book?” Kasane asked, sipping her coffee.

“It was lent to me by a friend,” he said, thinking of the book. Given to him by Kasuka, who was going to be an actor in the upcoming movie for it. ‘Shi no Kisu’ was a horror and thriller story about a young man with the ability to see how people die. It’s most known for its gory deaths and psychological tension. “I thought it was a good book.”

“It’s very gory,” Kasane said, smiling softly. “It scares me, but I do like it.”

“Me too,” Shizuo said. “Do you read a lot of Yoshimori?”

“This is my first book by her,” Kasane said. “But I hope to read more. Seeing as she is a horror author and I do love horror.”

“I can offer a few recommendations for you, if you’d like,” Shizuo said. “Just by blurb. I haven’t read much of her books, aha.” Kasane laughed, and he brightened. “Are you not hungry?” He looked down at the uneaten sandwich in front of her.

“Oh, I’ve been eating far too much lately,” she said. “I’ve been trying to go on a diet. I apologise.”

“It’s alright,” he said. “Do you want to save it for later?”

She smiled gently. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m glad I bumped into you.”

Shizuo nodded in agreement. Once Shizuo finished eating, he was walking with her when she turned to him. “Can I bother you with a request?” she asked, looking nervous.

“Oh, of course,” he said, smiling at her gently. “What is it?”

“There’s a building near where I live,” she said, rubbing her arm. “And I saw a ghoul there. Now I’m afraid to walk home alone.” She lowered her eyes, blinking back tears. “I hate to be a bother, but…can you please walk me home?”

Shizuo almost laughed, if he hadn’t seen how serious she was. “Of course,” he said. “As long as you’re safe.”

She smiled and they walked together, chatting, until they arrived at a big alley. “Heiwajima-san?” she said, turning to him. “Thank you for today. I’m afraid I’m still hungry though.”

“Do you want to eat that sandwich I got you?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “I’d rather eat…” She hugged him, much to his surprise, and went to hug back until a sharp pain clenched his shoulder. “You.”

He stumbled back. A piece of skin had been torn from her shoulder, now between her teeth. She swallowed it and licked her lips, her eyes suddenly black with red irises. “There’s a scene in Shi no Seppun that always makes me horny,” she said, stepping forward as he backed away, his hand clamped to the wound. “Where the boy sees a man who would die of disembowelment in front of him. And when it happens, I can’t help but get flustered.”

He scrambled to his feet and began to run, terrified. Something solid slammed into his back, and he fell, turning his head. Something dark red had wrapped around her arm, as she stalked closer, licking her lips. “Don’t try to run,” she said, as he gasped for air. “It makes me hungrier.”

She stopped as something flashed between them, and she stumbled back, her skin bleeding. “Dammit, he’s mine!” she barked at a figure standing on a wall, with a flicking shape on their back and a tentacle-like thing beneath it. “Find your own food!”

“You should know that you’re causing us a lot of trouble, Kasane,” the figure said, and Shizuo tensed. He knew that voice. “Some ghouls are trying to avoid the doves, and you’re just bringing them in!”

“Izaya, I chased this guy and hunted him perfectly!” he snapped. “He’s mine.”

“I don’t care whether he’s your dinner or not,” Izaya said, landing beside her. “The truth is, you’re bringing trouble to my family and friends, and I can’t let you carry on bringing the Doves in.” He paused. “Actually, maybe killing him does matter. You’d bring in more. So hold still while I kill you.”

He raced forward, the weird black and red mass on his back shooting something forward. She raised her red mass to block it, and it deflected off it. But he was already in front of her. He slammed his fist into her nose. She was knocked backwards, her hand flying to her nose. “You son of a bitch!” she hissed and slammed outward with her red mass. Izaya dodged easily, his wing-like red mass fluttered slightly and sharp shards embedded into her neck, spurting blood.

She squealed and jumped backwards. Izaya stood calmly in front of Shizuo. “Leave, Kasane,” he said. “Leave the 20th Ward and don’t come back.”

She growled and started forward, swinging her red mass at Izaya, who jumped out of the way again, but it sliced into his leg. She tried to slice him again, but he was fast and slammed his lower mass into her chest. She coughed, spitting blood onto it. He yanked it out, and slammed it back in, through her stomach. She whirled, bringing it up and over. She slammed it into his back. "Missed," he said, grinning. He skipped away, making it slip out.

"Hold still so I can kill you!" she hissed, and he laughed as she twirled, the red mass spinning with her. He jumped and slammed himself down onto her head, making her tip forward, and smash her head against the concrete. 

She grunted and flipped, taking Izaya's body with her to the ground. He yelped and his tentacle-like red masses whirled out, wrapping her tightly as he stood. His wing-like mass fluttered again and as he knelt down to look at Kasane's face, it released a spike that slammed into the ground beside her ear, scraping it.

She bit one of them, and they flung her across the alley, making her collide with a brick wall. "I'm hungry, Izaya!" she barked, and charged, her mass appearing to grow smaller. "Let me feed!"

He swung his leg, kicking her across the jaw, knocking her backwards. "You ate five people in the last month," he said, with no remorse in his voice or smirk on his face. "You aren't hungry; you're greedy."

She roared, rushing forward, her mass thrusting forward. Izaya stood still, and then ducked downward, showing off the wing-like mass completely as it shot shiny spikes outward towards her. Her mass blocked most of it, but some of it caught her inner thighs and she screamed, stumbling back, the mass shrinking even more.

"You are a disgrace to all ghouls," he said. "You should leave. I'm giving you one last chance."

She hissed, stumbling forward. She lashed out once again, and Izaya side-stepped, slamming his tentacle-like mass into her back and sides. "Kasane," he said. "Last chance."

She growled, but turned and jumped, her boots grazing the concrete building's roof. "This isn't over, Izaya Orihara," she hissed, before running into the night.

Shizuo blinked in surprise, as Izaya turned around, and confirmed his suspicions. Partly, anyway. One of his eyes was black with a red iris. Izaya was a ghoul.


	2. Genjitsuka

“You need to get up,” Izaya said. “She’ll be back, and we’re both high on her to-kill list.” Shizuo stared at him, dumbfounded. One of his eyes was the usual brown-red. The other was ghoul-like. Black whites and red iris. The red mass on his back pulsated before disappearing into his skin. “Shizu-chan, we have to go.” Shizuo glared at him. “I won’t eat you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I already ate this month.” Shizuo glared harder. “Shizuo, please, I can’t afford to stay out this long.” Shizuo didn’t move. Izaya sighed. “Fine, you’re on your own, though.”

He turned, his muscles tensing, ready to jump. Shizuo was suddenly gripped by a fear, an indescribable lump in his chest, a terrible fear that he was no longer safe. “Wait!” he barked, standing hurriedly. “Don’t go.”

Izaya turned and frowned. “Follow me,” he said, and turned to the alley mouth, walking down. Shizuo walked up to his side, and stayed there, making sure Izaya never left his peripheral vision. They walked for a long time, their footsteps echoing in the empty streets. After a few long minutes, they arrived in front of a tall, expensive-looking apartment complex. Izaya stepped inside, and Shizuo followed, looking around at everything. There were blocked-off stairs and potted plants in every spare corner. Izaya crossed to a lift, tapping the number ‘5’ in it. According to the panel, there were about 20 floors, and Shizuo gaped at the large number. The door slid open, and Izaya stepped aside as a small lady hobbled out. “Be careful, Banana-san,” he said softly. “Kasane’s hiding somewhere and there are rumours of the Doves coming back.”

The lady nodded and shuffled forward. “Is she a –“ Shizuo began, and Izaya nodded, stepping inside.

“Hurry up,” Izaya said, and Shizuo shuffled in beside him. He opened his mouth, but Izaya held up a finger, digging his keys out of his pocket. The doors slid open with a ding and he stepped out, Shizuo following.

He walked through the open-aired hallway to the middle of the complex’s hallway. He unlocked the door, swung it open and pushed Shizuo in. “Hey, flea!” Shizuo barked, shocked by the rough treatment.

“Shush,” Izaya shushed. He locked the door behind him and carefully peeked around the corner. “Girls, are you still eating?” No response. “If you don’t answer, I’ll walk in.”

There was a yelp, and Mairu appeared around the corner, a pink mass on her back and her eye like a ghoul’s. “We’re almost done, Iza-nii,” she said, and spotted Shizuo. “Are we eating Shizuo-kun?”

“No,” Izaya reassured. “He’s here for protection from Kasane.”  
“The mass-eater?” she asked, tilting her head, her pink mass fluttering. “Is she gone?”

“I let her go,” Izaya said. “But she knows if she turns up again, I’ll kill her. Now go finish eating. We’ll get rid of the bones later, okay?” She nodded, turned and walked back into the room she came from, shutting it behind her. Izaya turned to Shizuo. “Do you want some coffee? Or maybe tea?”

“Uh…tea,” Shizuo said, slightly surprised by Izaya’s polite, welcoming behaviour. “Please.” Izaya turned to the kitchen, opening the cupboard and pulling down four cups. Izaya set the kettle up. “Um…so you’re a ghoul?”

“Yes,” Izaya said, flicking on the kettle’s switch. “Well, half-ghoul to be exact. Though other ghouls call us one-eyed ghouls.”

“And you eat people,” Shizuo said. It wasn’t a question.

Izaya hesitated, pulling down a pot of coffee and tea bags. “Yes,” he said. “But only criminals. Rapists, mainly. And I kill them fast.” He set them down. “I only eat once a month. I’m nothing like Kasane.”

“How do I know that?” Shizuo snapped, remembering his hatred for the man.

“Because we back him up,” Mairu said, turning the corner with Kururi, wiping blood from her mouth. “He picks up known rapists and criminals, and we eat them. Once a month, no more, no less.”

Shizuo looked at them, and Izaya. They were all looking at him as if he knew nothing of what they went through. “Explain to me,” he said, turning to the table. “I know nothing about ghouls, except you can’t eat human food. Maybe you can fill me in.”

“We can eat human food,” Izaya said, as the kettle whistled. “It just tastes weird. Not gross, like it is for other ghouls, but not great either.” He picked it up and poured the hot water into the cups. “Girls, sit down.”

They skipped to the table, Mairu directly beside Shizuo whilst Kururi crossed to the other side. “What’s that stuff that was on your back?” Shizuo asked. “The thing that looked like tentacles and a wing.”

“Kagune,” Izaya said. “They’re ghoul weapons. Every ghoul is born with it, and it can be used for defence and offence. I’ve been using mine for offensive lately, but the girl only knows defensive attacks.”

Mairu nodded, pouting. “And Iza-nii won’t teach us how to fight!” she said.

“You know why,” Izaya said, setting a cup in front of her, and sliding Shizuo’s to him, whilst also setting sugar (both white and a weird brown-red colour) and milk down. “Anyway, kagunes are a ghoul’s main weapon and shield. There are four different types. Ukaku, which is this.” His back twitched a second before the wing-like formation appeared, fluttering. “The ukaku is released from the shoulder area and specialises in high-speed attacks. It translates to feather red.” Mairu’s back twitched as a wing-like cluster appeared on her shoulder, fluttering like Izaya’s. “Mairu has it, too.” Izaya smiled proudly at Mairu, whose kagune fluttered happily. “Even though mine’s red, Mairu’s is pink, obviously.” Their kagunes disappeared. “Next is koukaku. It’s released below the shoulder blade. It’s heavier than other kagune but its sturdiness makes it well-suited for defence. It translates to shell-red.” Izaya’s red tentacle-mass appeared, and Kururi also released a tentacle-like, but hers was a royal blue. “Then there’s rinkaku. Released around the back of the waist. Its user has powerful regeneration abilities, but it's very easy to break. It translates to scale red.” Theirs disappeared. “And last is bikaku. It's released in the tail-bone. It has decent offensive and defensive works."

"Which one was Kujiragi?" he asked.

"She was a koukaku," Izaya said. "Which was why she was so slow."

"Why do you have two?" Shizuo asked, remembering both the girls and Kasane only having one.

"It's a Chimera kagune," Mairu said. "It's really rare. It usually means both parents have two different kagune, but in Izaya's case, it was a trait skipped form our dad and passed onto him. Our grandma's a rinkaku type and our granddad's a ukaku type. Our dad's a rinkaku, but Izaya was born with both. It's super rare, and I haven't heard of a ghoul haven't a Chimera kagune in over a decade. Izaya's special." She didn't sound or look jealous like Shizuo might've been if Izaya was 'special' and she was an 'ordinary' ghoul.

"So, is your mother human?" he asked.

"Yeah," Izaya said. "She was." He sipped his coffee bitterly. "It's next to impossible for ghouls and humans to interbreed, unless precautions are taken."

"What precautions?" Shizuo asked.

Izaya grimaced. "If the mother is a human and the father a ghoul, a half-ghoul child will not receive the necessary nutrients and will starve to death unless the mother engages in cannibalism," he explained. "Our mother had to eat human beings in order to give birth to us. Even then, the chances that all three of us were half ghouls and not half-humans was a miracle."

"What's the difference?" Shizuo asked.

"Half-humans are more like humans," Izaya said. "Which means no kagune and a shorter lifespan." He sighed and sipped his coffee. "I'm going to bed. Let yourself out." He tipped the rest of his coffee down the sink and went up the stairs nearby, and slammed a door shut.

"That means you can stay the night," Mairu translated. "Ignore him. He's stressed out because more ghoul investigators came to the area."

"Investigators?"

"People that track down and kill ghouls," Mairu explained. "Just because we're ghouls and not human."

"That isn't fair," Shizuo said. As much as he hated Izaya, he knew Mairu and Kururi would never hurt anyone if they could avoid it. "You're not doing anything."

"Yes we are," Kururi said. "We're being ghouls."

She stood, tipped the excess coffee down the sink and walked up the stairs to her room. "You can sleep on the couch," Mairu said. "But put on a lot of cologne before you go to sleep. It'll mask your scent from other ghouls."

"How many ghouls live here?"

"The building is full of ghouls," Mairu said. "This is one of the only safe buildings for ghouls in this area. I think we only have one human resident, and he's off-limits for everyone."

"Thanks," Shizuo said, and Mairu tossed him a pillow and blanket. "Tell Izaya I said thanks."

"No problem," Mairu said. "Good night!"

With that, she disappeared and Shizuo was left alone, with the knowledge his worst enemy, who was being somewhat civil, was a half-ghoul.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew every ghoul mentioned with their kagune and mask on. Here:  
> https://www.pinterest.com.au/gaybaeshipping/my-fanart-durarara-for-fanfics/
> 
> Note: I did use original pictures from the anime and just drew around it. If anyone has any problems with this, please bring it up with me privately.

Shizuo woke to a pounding in his head and a slender finger poking him. “Get up,” Izaya snapped, yanking the blankets off of him. “And out!”

Shizuo groaned and grabbed a pillow, pushing it on his exposed ear. “Let me sleep,” he mumbled.

“No,” Izaya snapped, kicking him off the couch rudely. “Get out!” Shizuo grumbled and didn’t move from his spot on the floor. “Namie, help me!”

“Do it yourself,” a woman’s voice said, and Shizuo raised his head to see a young woman wearing an office skirt and beige sweater, glaring at Izaya. “I’m not here to babysit.” Izaya glared at her, and with a slight whoosh, his kagune formed on his back. Namie looked at him icily and a blue kagune (that looked like a bikaku, if Shizuo remembered from the talk last night) appeared from her back.

Tension hung in the air like a thick cloud, and Shizuo wondered if he would get caught in a fight, before Izaya’s kagune and Namie’s wrapped around each other in a weirdly affectionate touch. It was kind of like watching two elephant trunks wrap around one another, like an old married couple. He wondered if they were dating. Their kagunes untangled and pulled away, shrinking into their backs. “You should go,” Namie said. “We’re busy today.”

“Wait a second!” Shizuo said, glancing between them in shock. “I still have questions.”

“I don’t have time to answer them,” Izaya said, slipping on some shoes. “Ask the girls some time. Or any other ghoul.”

“But –“ Shizuo paused a second. Why was he so keen to hear it from Izaya, of all people? “I won’t take too long. Please?”

“Like Namie said, I’m busy,” Izaya retorted and called the girls’ names. “Some other time.”

“This afternoon!” Shizuo said. “Are you free then?”

“Yes,” Izaya said, frowning. “From 4 till 7, but –“

“Then meet me at Russian Sushi then,” Shizuo said.

“But I-“

“I’ll buy you a meal.”

“But –“

“I’ll leave if you agree to it!” Shizuo tried desperately.

“Shizuo!” Izaya snapped, and Shizuo stopped, slightly shocked. “I have work.”

“Please?” Shizuo said. “Just this once?”

Izaya’s shoulders twitching was the only warning Shizuo got before a spike slammed into the wall beside his head. “Just _once_!” he snapped. “No more, no less. Got it?”

“But I-“

“Oh, for fucks sake!” Izaya snarled, grabbing Shizuo’s phone from his pocket and punching a number into it. “There. Now piss off.”

Maybe it was because Izaya was a ghoul, or maybe it was because Shizuo had never heard him swear before, but he turned and left, sliding open the door and walking down the hall. There was a buzz from his phone, and he looked down. Izaya had put his number in the phone, under the name ‘Fuck You, Shizu-Chan’, with a middle finger emoji. Shizuo quickly changed it to ‘Flea’ and found a picture of Izaya he had on his phone, putting it there. The message sent by ‘Flea’ read: _Russian Sushi. 6-7. You’re paying._

Shizuo smiled secretly to himself, unaware of how deep he was travelling into dangerous territory.

***

During work, he lied to Tom, saying he had an awesome date. He ‘forgot’ to mention his date had attempted to eat him. At the end of the day, Tom finally said, “We have one more before you can go.”

Shizuo nodded, not really paying attention, until they arrived at Izaya’s apartment complex. In Shizuo’s head, he heard Izaya’s voice warning him, “This building is full of ghouls.”

He prayed they would be lucky enough to get the single human in the building. They walked up several stairs, reaching an apartment. They knocked politely and an elderly woman, the one from the night before, hobbled out. “Oooh,” she said, as if surprised to see them. “Guests. How pleasant. Do come in, come in.”

Tom went in without hesitation and Shizuo only paused a moment before following. It was a comfy living space, with a single Yorkie dog sitting on a couch lazily. Her fridge was open, and it contained little brown bags. “Would you like some tea or coffee?” she asked, closing the fridge and picking up a coffee jar. “I prefer coffee, but you can have whichever.”

“No thank you,” Tom said politely, sitting down. The Yorkie instantly jumped onto his lap and curled up there. “We’re just here to…”

There was a knock at the door, rapid and in odd patterns. “Oh, dear me,” the lady said, shuffling towards it. “I apologise. I forgot I had another guest.”

She opened the door and Izaya came inside, Namie by his side. “Sorry for the intrusion,” Izaya said politely, ignoring Shizuo (who let out a choked gasp). The Yorkie lifted its head and ran towards him. Izaya flinched slightly and shuffled as casually as he could behind Namie. “Delivery.”

“Oh, lovely,” the lady said. “One second, lovies.” She turned to Tom, who was watching Shizuo and Izaya warily. “What is it you wanted, my dear?”

“We’ve come to collect your debt,” Tom said. “You owe us 23,000 yen.”

“Oh yes, I remember,” the lady said. “Just let me grab my purse and pop the kettle on.”

“I’ll do it,” Izaya said, watching the tiny dog. “Shoo. Bad dog. Shoo.” He waved his hand at it, half-heartedly kicking at it. “Go away.”

Namie snorted slightly, hiding a smile behind it. “She won’t hurt you, Orihara-kun,” the old lady said. “She’s very kind.”

“I don’t like dogs,” Izaya said simply, crossing over to the kettle and filling it with water. “Go away. Stupid dog. Shoo.”

The lady smiled and shuffled off. Shizuo opened his mouth to say something, but a quick glare from Izaya shut him up. He looked over at Tom’s booklet of clients. The old lady was called Ainu Banana. She had eight children and three grandchildren. Lives alone, husband died during a war, doesn’t leave her apartment much. Shizuo didn’t know why he was shocked to know how many children this lady had.

Sure, her name meant fertile and she was pretty old, and had several hundred pictures of young children on the wall but still. Maybe it was because she was a ghoul. He knew ghouls could reproduce, but it still somehow surprised him. The last time he had heard of a child ghoul was when he was about 18, and he had been captured and killed.

Izaya slipped a sugar cube-like thing into his, Namie’s and Ainu’s cups and absently left normal sugar from Tom and Shizuo’s. Namie stood, bored, tapping her foot impatiently. “Should I –“

“No,” Izaya said before she could finish. “Just wait. Milk?”

She shook her head. Izaya turned to Shizuo and Tom as if waiting for an answer. “A little,” Tom said at the same time as Shizuo said, “A lot.”

Izaya smirked (and Shizuo swore it looked a little like a smile) and began to prepare. Ainu shuffled back in, holding a purse in her hands. “How much, my dear?”

“23,000 yen,” Tom said, standing politely.

She hummed a tune from an old Japanese song and dug around, pulling out 30,000 yen. “Keep the change, love,” she said, palming it into Tom’s hand. “You two are perfectly nice compared to other debt collectors I’ve had.”

“Hm?” Tom said, nodding his thanks to Izaya as he sipped his coffee. “Who have you had previously?”

“Oh, let’s see,” she said, holding up her fingers. “Rau Kyan, Nada Suiden, Hisame Fukumoto, and you two.”

“Rau’s a nasty piece of work,” Tom agreed. “He died recently, though. Ghoul attack, I think.”

“Oh, dear me,” Ainu said, putting a hand over her heart. “I hear all about ghouls. Quite terrifying things, aren’t they?”

Shizuo glanced over at Izaya, whose shoulders had gone a little rigid. _Did you kill him?_ Shizuo wondered to himself, but he was not afraid. Last night was proof that Izaya wouldn’t kill him. “Well, we thank you,” Tom said. “For your hospitality.” He set the cup down politely and went to the door, Shizuo following. As he left, he checked his watch. Two hours until Russian sushi.

***

He arrived at Russian Sushi twenty minutes early, ordering himself a strawberry milkshake. He half expected Izaya not to show up at all, so when he turned up ten minutes early, Shizuo almost choked on his milkshake.

“Disgusting,” Izaya said, wrinkling his nose at Shizuo. “How much milk do you consume a day?”

“Enough so I don’t look like a vampire,” Shizuo shot back, poking his tongue out.

Izaya snorted to hide a laugh and sat across from him, casually sliding 1 million yen across the table. Shizuo glanced at him shiftily. “It’s payment,” Izaya said without looking at him. “For keeping it secret. If any Doves find out, our lives are at risk.”

“I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Shizuo said, surprised to find it was true. “I’m just curious, is all.”

“Hm,” Izaya hummed and glanced around. “Well, new thing to learn. A lot of the people you know are ghouls.” He saw Shizuo’s surprised face and continued. “Dotachin, Erika, Chikage, Simon, Denis, Mika, Namie, Seiji. To name a few.”

“Why doesn’t anyone know?”

“Walker and Togusa know,” Izaya said, taking a sip of beer. “I think Mika’s little friend knows as well. And you know.”

“Yeah, but…why?” Shizuo asked. “Why tell me?”

“I didn’t,” Izaya said, looking at him as if he was stupid. “Remember? I was trying to kill Kasane.”

“What did you mean by binge eater?” Shizuo asked. “You said she was a binge eater, and greedy. What does that mean?”

Simon appeared carrying trays of sushi even though they hadn’t ordered yet. He said nothing and walked away quickly. “Binge eaters are known for eating more than necessary,” Izaya said. “Ghouls can survive up to a month on one body. Me and the girls can go two, though I try to give them one a month just in case. Binge eaters eat more than one body in a month due to pure greed. They do it for pleasure.”

“Do you really eat only criminals?” Shizuo asked, picking at the different kinds of sushi in front of him.

“Either that or suicide victims,” Izaya said. “And the older ghouls get food from me. Speaking of, I need to collect something for an older man nearby. You can come if you want. After I eat, obviously.”

Izaya picked up his chopsticks and began spooning tuna sushi in his mouth, sometimes pulling a weird face. “How many people in here are ghouls?” Shizuo asked, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Twelve,” Izaya said, gesturing to the twenty or so patrons. “Not including Simon and Denis. Russia Sushi usually gets ghoul customers, so there’s a hidden menu within the menu.” He slipped his fingers into the spine of the menu and pulled out a piece of paper, with Russian text. “Different kinds of meat, sauteed, fried, deep-fried, etc. With specially made rice and seaweed to make it seem like real sushi.”

_Clever,_ Shizuo thought, glancing over it. The people in the restaurant were all eating, and he wondered faintly what it tasted like. Then again, if he ate it he would be a cannibal, and that didn’t really fancy him. “If you really want to get this far into our world,” Izaya said, picking up another roll of tuna sushi. “There are a few people you should avoid. Kasane, obviously. She doesn’t like it when her prey gets away, and just so you know, your scent is unique. She’ll definitely be keen to get a taste again. Earthworm, she runs an illegal gambling ring but its secretly like a club for ghouls looking for unique tastes. Basically, she tricks humans into coming into her parlour and then drugs them so they can be eaten by ghouls. Haruna Niekawa, she’s more obvious. She’s a pretty famous ghoul amongst humans and uses her sexual appeal to lure men and women into her bed. You shouldn’t worry too much about her. She likes people like Takashi Nasujima. Remember that guy?” Shizuo nodded. Even when they were buddies in school, Takashi was creepy. He always flicked up girls’ skirts and attempted to grope them. Horada, he won’t bother you. He’s scared of you, but he’s definitely still someone to watch out for. Jinnai Yodogiri works for Kasane, so he’ll probably try to hunt you down to get revenge for her. Kisuke Adabashi likes to torture humans and then devour them. Watch out for him, he’s like the black cat of ghouls. And Ran Izumii’s the exact same.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I can,” Izaya said. “Or I can just ask them all to eat you, if you prefer.”

“No thank you.”

“Then shut up. I’m helping you.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Izaya said, putting down his chopsticks, in an all-too-serious manner. “Because I want to.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for so many breaks during this chapter. I couldn't think of how to fill it. Also, big announcement! At the start of every chapter, I will be featuring a comment I loved from one of you guys! Be quick to get in.

Shizuo’s breath caught in his throat. People who had survived big cat attacks often described being unable to look away from the eyes of the beast, before it mauled them. He felt something similar. Stuck in Izaya’s gaze, staring forever into those red-brown eyes, deep as the endless pit.

He couldn’t look away, couldn’t pry his eyes away. It was…entrancing.

Izaya glanced away, and tension he wasn’t aware of released from Shizuo like tension being released from a rubber band. “Anyway,” Izaya said, as if nothing had happened. “Watch out for them.” His phone dinged and he picked it up, sighing. “Mask delivery.”

“Mask?”

Izaya glanced at him, giving him a look that said, ‘you are stupider than you look’. “Well, if we go out and fight the Doves and neither of us can kill the other,” he explained, “without a mask, they would know what we look like.” He scrolled through his phone and clicked on something, leaning over to show a picture of a ghoul with a lot of tattoos and piercings, and both his eyes were black and red. “That’s Uta. He’s our mask man. I met him through an old friend of mine, Yomo.” He giggled. “I accidentally walked in on them having sex.” He swiped through some photos of the same ghoul with a guy with stubble, sometimes wearing a no-face mask and a raven mask. “Anyway, Uta designs our masks. He’s amazing at what he does, but kind of creepy…for humans anyway.”

He glanced at Shizuo. He had to admit, Uta did look kind of creepy, but he was more curious if he kept his eyes like that constantly and, if so, how did he hide them? “I have to pick it up,” Izaya said. “My mask.”

“I’ll come,” Shizuo said, standing.

“It wasn’t an invitation,” Izaya snapped, thanking Denis and Simon as he exited the shop, Shizuo hurrying after him. “It was more of ‘see you, hate you, fuck you’.”

“Well, I’m kind of curious to see more ghouls,” Shizuo said. “And even if you say no, I’ll follow you until I can’t anymore.”

“Have you forgotten what I am?” Izaya asked without looking back. “I can rip you to pieces.”

“Funny thinking you can rip _me_ apart,” Shizuo said.

Izaya paused, and turned, making eye contact, again drawing Shizuo into that deadly gaze. “Fine,” he said, turning and storming forward. “But don’t slow me down!”

***

After a quick detour to grab Kururi and Mairu (“Uta wants to design a mask for them, too,” Izaya said flippantly, grabbing a receipt from Namie), they arrived at a shady-looking parlour that Izaya walked into, Shizuo following. “Stay here a sec,” Izaya said, walking down the stairs, the girls following him, giggling happily.

The door closed behind him and he was drowned in darkness. He could hear mumbling downstairs but didn’t move. It felt like hours before the door behind him opened and the silver-haired guy Izaya had with the ghoul in his phone appeared, looking deadpan. “Oh, a customer,” he said, sounding apathetic. “Come this way.”

He passed Shizuo on the stairs, opening the door below them. “Uta?” Shizuo asked.

“No, Yomo,” the guy said and opened the door for him. Shizuo stepped inside, into a whirlwind of masks and light.

“I told you to stay up there!” Izaya snapped, glaring at Shizuo.

“I invited him down,” Yomo said, passing Shizuo, heaving brown bags of wool he hadn’t noticed before onto the counter. “My mistake.”

“Stay put!” Izaya snapped, pointing at him. “And don’t touch anything!” Shizuo held up his hands in mock surrender and Izaya rolled his eyes, turning towards Kururi and Mairu, patiently sitting side-by-side on a couch, whilst a ghoul measured their heads. “He knows,” he heard Izaya whisper to the ghoul. Yomo shot Izaya a glance, but Izaya shook his head and hissed something in a different language.

Shizuo glanced around the room. There was a variety of masks, including half-masks, fancy dress party masks and animal-like masks. They were beautiful, and some had wigs attached to them, such as an orc-style mask with a magenta-coloured wig behind it. He turned and almost jumped out of his skin as he came face-to-face with the tattooed ghoul in Izaya’s camera roll. “Do you want a mask, too?” he asked, tilting his head like a curious puppy.

“Uh…not at the moment…thanks,” he said, shuffling to one side awkwardly. The ghoul nodded and turned back to the girls, who were flipping through books of masks, looking at different ones and making notes on a notepad.

“I finished your mask,” the ghoul said to Izaya, who was examining a leather cat mask. “I added a combination of Shogi, Chess and Othello pieces to it, and gave it spikes across the top.” He pulled out a beige coloured mask, with an eye-opening for Izaya’s ghoul eye, the other side of the mask covering his other eye. The left side of his face was only partly covered by it, and you could see his mouth. There were eccentric markings on the mask, with spikes bordering the top, and Shogi, Chess and Othello pieces superglued to the right side. “I think it looks good on you. What do you think?”

The ghoul tilted a mirror towards Izaya, who looked at the mask on his face from all angles. “It looks amazing,” Izaya said, in awe. “Seriously, let me pay you.”

The ghoul shook his head as Izaya thrust a few thousand yen at him. “I’m repaying the debt,” was all he said and was quickly distracted by the girls squealing. Izaya carefully removed his mask and brushed his fingers over it lovingly.

“Can I at least pay for the girls’?”

Uta nodded, though he pursed his lips as if annoyed. Izaya gently tucked his mask into his bag, and a second mask, a full mask that looked like a creepy skeleton, besides it. “So, cat and dog masks?” Uta asked the girls, who held up their notes. “I can do that no problem.”

“Thanks again, Uta,” Izaya said, palming over 2,000 yen. “And watch out for the Doves. News is they’re sending more because of Kasane.”

“Exactly why you should’ve killed her when you had the chance,” Yomo piped up, swinging around in a chair. “She’ll be back.”

“I’m prepared,” Izaya replied, rolling his shoulders. “Besides, you’re the best fighter I know and if she beats me, you’ll wipe her out like _that_.” He clicked his fingers. “Relax, Yomo-kun. I’ve got it covered.”

They thanked Uta and left the shop, Izaya being careful with his bag. “They’re…creepy,” Shizuo said, and almost jumped as Izaya laughed.

“I told you,” Izaya said. “You never listen, protozoan.”

***

It had been a few weeks since Shizuo last saw Izaya. His curiosity over the ghouls’ world kept him thinking about him. And yet, he still didn’t text, call or attempt to see Izaya until he saw Kururi and Mairu alone at a butcher. “Hey, girls,” he said, watching them walk out. They grinned at him.

“Hey, Shizuo!” Mairu said. “Long time no see! You should come round and annoy Izaya more.” She giggled. “It’s amusing watching him be a doofus.”

“Whatcha got there?” he asked, looking into the bag. It looked like ordinary steak, cut into chunks and skinned. “Steak?”

“No,” Mairu said. She lowered her voice, ducking her head. “Human.” Shizuo must’ve looked startled, because she rushed to explain, “Izaya eats on the 1st day of the month all the time. It’s the 13th today. He hasn’t eaten anything since last month. He’s getting really hungry, but he can’t go out when he’s this hungry even with a mask on. It’s more likely he’ll attack someone he’ll regret or a Dove.” She glanced away. “Everyone’s trying to lay low because of the Doves, so no one’s delivering to him right now. So we thought we’d get him something.”

Shizuo gently pat her head, feeling like a proud mother hen in some way. “You’re both good sisters,” he said.

“Shit, I forgot we have exams today!” Kururi cursed, grabbing Mairu’s wrist. “We gotta go.”

“But Izaya –“ Mairu began.

“I’ll take it to him,” Shizuo said, lifting it from Mairu’s hands. “It’s on my way anyway.”

Mairu and Kururi glanced at one another, but Mairu nodded. “Just be careful,” she warned. “He might not see you as you.”

***

Outside Izaya’s apartment, Shizuo managed to find the spare key (after a lot of digging around and getting dirty) and unlock the door. The living room was as per normal, except for a tin labelled ‘Sugar’ spilt over the table, with grains of the weird coloured sugar cubes all over the surface.

“Izaya?” he called.

No response. He calmly closed the door behind him and walked up the stairs. This part of the apartment was new to him. He’d never been up there before. He had seen Izaya go up and across, but only for a moment, on the night he realised Izaya was a ghoul.

He heard a weird groaning, retching sound and followed the sound to a bedroom. He peeked inside and saw something, a human-sized lump moving about, breathing heavily. “Izaya?”

The mass moved, the covers sliding off. It was Izaya, that much was obvious. But something was very, very wrong. Even before he turned completely, his eye’s pupil was too large, and the whites were bloodshot. And then he turned, and his left eye was black and red, with drool sliding from his open mouth. In one quick, desperate movement, Izaya leapt and landed on Shizuo, slamming him into the floor, Izaya on top of him. The impact jarred Shizuo’s hand, releasing the bag and sending it tumbling down the stairs.

He didn’t notice that, however, as he suddenly felt like he was in danger. Izaya panted heavily, his eyes locked on Shizuo’s. “You’re a real saviour, you know?” he said, in a low, dangerous tone. “Haven’t eaten…so hungry.”

He leaned down, and Shizuo finally moved, slamming his hands on Izaya’s shoulders just as Izaya slammed his hand over his mouth and jerked off, hitting the wall. He twitched and groaned, biting his own hand. “Go.” Shizuo reached forward, wanting to give him some form of comfort, but Izaya slapped him away. “GO AWAY BEFORE I EAT YOU!”

The outburst shocked Shizuo back, and he completely remembered the bag he had brought. He raced down the stairs, scrambling around for it, but he couldn’t see it. It was somewhere, but if he didn’t do something soon, maybe Izaya really would eat him.

Eat him…

Shizuo glanced back up the stairs and before he could reason with himself that this was a bad idea, walked back up, calm and deliberate. His heart thundered in his chest, and his fingers fumbled at his shirt buttons, yanking his shirt off. “Izaya,” he said calmly, despite the rising panic in his chest. “Eat.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos if you enjoyed it, that would be greatly appreciated.  
> Follow my page for more Durarara!!! stories.  
> Comment any suggestions and any tips on writing better.  
> Thank you. Tune in next month.


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